


pink larkspur

by ShowMeAHero



Series: how to expect the unexpected [3]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Newborn Children, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:34:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23422510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShowMeAHero/pseuds/ShowMeAHero
Summary: Richie's not exactly sure what day it is. He knows it's nottoday—Or, at least, it's not the today it was the last time he really knew what today was.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: how to expect the unexpected [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683577
Comments: 13
Kudos: 169





	pink larkspur

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided to do this out of chronological order, but I'll put the dates on them so you know where everything falls in the timeline!! I added dates to the first two parts too ^___^

**_june 3rd, 2021_ **

* * *

Richie's not exactly sure what day it is. He knows it's not _today—_ Or, at least, it's not the today it was the last time he really knew what today was.

He's not sure he's making a whole lot of sense, but he's also taken as many painkillers as he can while nursing and he's in a fuckton of pain, so. He's forgiving himself for now.

He can feel Eddie's hand on his shoulder, and he makes himself blink before he squints.

"Oh, don't do that," Eddie says softly. "You're going to hurt your eyes."

Richie shuts his eyes again before he feels Eddie slide his glasses on carefully. When he blinks them open again, he can see Eddie clearly, and he's got one of their babies tucked up against his chest.

"What's up?" Richie asks blearily. Eddie helps him sit up against his mountain of pillows one-handed.

"She's hungry," Eddie says. Richie holds his hands up blindly; he moves on instinct more than anything else, pulling the baby in as Eddie gingerly releases her. Richie brings her up a little closer so he can look at her.

"Hey," Richie says softly. She's whimpering, settling from the cry she must have had for Eddie; she's apparently comforted by his presence, though. "Hey, Sloane. What's wrong, hm? Thinking about taxes?"

Eddie huffs a laugh as he sits down on the edge of the bed beside Richie. He looks into Richie's eyes, checks his pulse, checks his stitches; Richie just lets Sloane nurse and absently tries to keep himself awake.

"Bill's downstairs," Eddie tells him quietly. "Dr. Baker said one visitor at a time. If you're up for seeing him. He wants to see you and meet them."

Richie feels like his body is falling to pieces, but the thought of _Bill_ meeting their _children_ makes Richie's heart _twist,_ so he nods anyways.

"Yeah?" Eddie asks. "You're sure? Because I'll tell him no. I'll kick him out if you want me to. Say the word."

Richie laughs, then groans. Eddie kisses him on the forehead.

"I'll bring him up," Eddie says. "Quit squirming."

Richie sticks his tongue out, but he does as he's told. He can see the three bassinets lined up alongside the bed still; when he leans up a bit, he can see Lydia and Heather in theirs, neither of them fussing too much. He still wants them back over with him, though. It feels wrong to have them so far away.

He's just starting trying to shift himself towards the edge of the bed, Sloane still clutched close to his chest, nursing like he's not even moving, when Eddie comes back in.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, what the fuck are you doing," Eddie says quickly, striding forward and gently coaxing Richie backwards into the pillows again. Richie shifts uncomfortably on his back, then sighs, frustrated. "What's wrong?"

"Can I have them?" Richie asks. He points towards the bassinets and says, "I was trying to go get them."

"You're going to fall and hurt yourself, Richie," Eddie says quietly. He goes to Lydia and carefully lifts her up just as the bedroom door creaks open a little wider. "Just ask me whenever you need something, I'll get them for you, okay?"

Richie nods, but he's distracted by Bill appearing in his doorway. The second he steps in, they lock eyes, and Richie feels his eyes burn up with tears again. At least the same thing happens to Bill, who laughs tearfully.

"Shit," Bill says. He looks to Eddie next, then into the bassinet where Heather's still sleeping. "Fuck, is— Can I—"

"Go for it, Big Bill," Richie says. "That's Heather Margaret, right there, for Maggie, y'know. Gotta honor my mama."

"Heather, hi," Bill says softly to her. He reaches into her bassinet so hesitantly, gingerly sliding his fingers underneath her tiny body. She's still got her little blue hat on, one of the many tiny color-coded clothing items Mike made for the three identical girls before they were born. Lydia's got a soft baby-pink, and Sloane's hat is a creamy white.

Bill slowly, _so_ slowly, lifts Heather up out of her bassinet. He smiles at her when she blinks her eyes up at him. "Hey, hi. Hi there." He looks to Eddie, then Richie. "Oh, my God, she's perfect. She's _perfect."_

"Thanks," Richie says tiredly. He holds a hand up towards Bill and Eddie both, and they both come to his bedside.

"He was getting up to get them," Eddie says. Sloane's finished nursing, so Eddie helps Richie pull her up to curl on his chest, her head under his chin. He lays Lydia down right beside her sister, then steps back and motions Bill forward.

Bill moves even more slowly on the descent, but he manages to get Heather turned around to her belly and onto Richie's chest with minimal fuss.

"They're so small," Bill comments. Richie holds a hand out to Eddie again, and Eddie comes, climbing up into bed with him and curling into his side like he likes. Bill shuffles, for a moment, looking almost out of place before Richie motions him forward to his other side.

"Babies are small when they're new," Richie says, as Bill curls up beside him, his head on Richie's arm as he looks down at the babies. "These ones are a little _too_ new. Still fresh."

Bill laughs softly. "Very new. Who's who?"

"You've met Heather," Eddie says. He points to Lydia and says, "We also have Lydia Beverly here."

Bill tears up again, burying his face in Richie's shoulder. "Bev's going to flip out."

"I hope so," Richie murmurs. Heather fusses a little, when he moves; Richie brings his hand up to smooth over her small back. His entire hand spans nearly her entire body.

"And this is Sloane Patricia," Eddie says. Sloane shifts when Eddie strokes a fingertip down her cheek, yawning. Richie's heart cracks open. Lydia makes a soft sound, a yawning sort of squeak in response to her sister. Richie kisses the top of her head.

"I gotcha," he murmurs, and they quiet again.

"Are babies always this small?"

"Not always," Richie mumbles.

"When's the last time you held a baby, Bill?" Eddie asks, checking Sloane's pulse. He's been checking them now and then; Richie's letting it slide for now.

"Georgie," Bill says. The three of them go quiet; Lydia snuffles faintly. "Sorry. Sorry, I— I shouldn't—"

"It's okay," Eddie says, at the same time Richie tells him, "Billy, you're _fine."_

"I try to avoid kids for the most part," Bill says. He strokes the pad of his thumb over Heather's cheek over and over again. "Guess that's all out the window now."

"Congrats, Uncle Billy," Richie says.

"The first babies in the family," Bill comments. He's still looking down at Heather, at her big dark eyes looking in his general direction, Eddie's little photocopy. Bill sniffles again. "I would just— I'm so proud of you guys. I love you both so much."

"I love you, too," Eddie says. Richie just shakes his head minutely as tears start streaming down his face again. Bill kisses him on the shoulder.

"I don't want to leave you guys," Bill admits into Richie's skin. He lifts his head to look at them both, his hand stilling over Heather's cheek. "Can I— Do you need help? Can I stay? Even if you just want me to stay for one—"

"Please stay," Eddie says quickly. Bill furrows his brow. "Richie can't get out of bed for at least a month, you can _absolutely_ stay, _please_ stay."

"I'm not _useless,"_ Richie defends himself.

"We went from being by ourselves to having three tiny children depending on us," Eddie says. "And they fucking— Bill, they _squirm._ They already want to fucking escape."

"They seem happy right now," Bill comments. He's right; they're all peacefully curled up on Richie's chest, happily lying together in a small row. Sloane's already started drifting back to sleep; Richie's pretty sure Lydia's been asleep for a little while, now.

"That's because Richie comforts them," Eddie tells him. "When Sloane—"

"Heather," Richie corrects tiredly.

"Heather," Eddie amends, "was screaming earlier, I put her on Richie's chest and she just stopped crying. It was insane."

"Then what do you need me for?" Bill asks.

"We need you," Eddie says. "We need all of you to stay, it'd be really great if you stayed." There's a beat, and then he says, "Please help me, don't leave me alone with three newborns."

"Again, _right here,"_ Richie reminds him. Eddie leans up to kiss him softly, right beside his eye, then down his cheek to his nose. The pain doesn't matter so much when he's got the three babies back with him and Eddie and Bill curled up with him like this.

"I can stay for a bit," Bill says. "I'm sure the guys will want to, too. Everyone's so excited to meet them, they're all coming up."

"Lucky you, first dibs," Richie says sleepily.

"Benefits of living in L.A. with you," Bill replies. "And you surprising us all by being early for once in your life."

"Even a broken clock," Richie mumbles.

"Go to sleep," Eddie tells him. He strokes Richie's hair back from his face again, the wisps pulling free of the braid Eddie twisted for him earlier. "Get some rest. We'll be here when you wake up again."

Richie nods, letting his eyes drift shut. He can still feel the warm weight of the babies on his chest, more comforting than anything else. He feels strangely bereft having them _out_ of him, so it's nice to have them back _on_ him for a while.

"Is he doing okay?" Bill asks softly. Richie keeps his eyes closed and his breathing even.

"As well as he can," Eddie answers. "It was— It was disgusting. I can't even— I can't even describe it to you. I don't think I can ever make fun of him again, I can't make fun of someone I've seen do that."

Richie has to fight back a laugh and a sob at the same time, but he does it, somehow. The births of their daughters is a frenzied mess of memories in his head still, hazy right now. He tries not to think too hard about it, because it reminds him of the pain he's trying to ignore.

"He's on another month of bedrest minimum," Eddie continues. "Maybe a little more." He makes a soft sound, almost a laugh. "Bill, I'm a little scared."

"Hey," Bill says. "You're not alone. Richie's here with you. I've never known him to be quiet and do nothing just because he's horizontal or knocked out of commission. He's spent the last three months harassing us all from a distance, he can do it for one more."

Richie feels Eddie nod against his shoulder. "It's just _— Look_ at them, Bill, _look."_

"Yeah, Eds, I see 'em," Bill says softly. They're both quiet for another minute, in which Richie nearly does fall asleep. Then, though, Bill asks, "Do you mean it? Do you want me to stay?"

"As long as you can," Eddie says. "As long as you want. All of you."

"Okay," Bill murmurs softly. "I'll stay."

Bill does stay; he stays through the night, right in bed with them. When Heather wakes up first, starting to scream, Eddie takes her; Sloane follows, and Bill wakes up to grab her, too. Eddie quietly tells him to go back to sleep as they slip out of the room, but it's hard. Richie can't help but let himself just keep crying, letting his hormones and emotions overflow, holding Lydia close.

"Thank you," Richie says. He's not sure to whom. Lydia, maybe. All three of the girls, possibly. Bill, probably. Eddie, mostly. He pulls Lydia's hat off to bury his face in the dark spiraling curls all over her head, sighing. He inhales, long and slow, turning before he winces and settles on his back again.

Lydia makes a soft whimper, than another squeak, rubbing her cheek into his chest. Richie shuts his eyes in her hair and smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> You can (and should!) come chat with me about this AU on Twitter at [@nicolelianesolo](https://twitter.com/nicolelianesolo) and/or on Tumblr at [andillwriteyouatragedy](http://andillwriteyouatragedy.tumblr.com/).


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